Tal Baum struck gold on Atlanta’s westside when she opened her “modern Israeli” restaurant Aziza in 2019, and that includes with the cocktails served from the bar. Expect drinks like the herbaceous Schug Shake made with tequila, lime, and chartreuse or the Levant Negroni, a drink mixing arak and Moroccan eau de vie mahia together with contratto bitters and blanc vermouth.

This pre-Prohibition-style cocktail den in historic Castleberry Hill is named for and fashioned after the room found in most 19th-century homes, where people gathered following dinner to chat and sip digestifs. Cocktails on the menu here lean classic and toward spirits like mezcal, cognac, rum, and brandy. Expect a playlist spanning several genres, including soul, R&B, Afrobeats, hip hop, and house music, with DJs and dancing later in the evening.

Immerse yourself in a Wes Anderson film at Bar Margot in Midtown. Named for the iconic Margot character in Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums”, the cocktail bar shares the same cool, retro aesthetic. Try the Lady Victoria made with vodka, lemon, cocchi americano, and rosemary while soaking in the moody vibe here. Keep an eye out for celebrities, too. They often call the Four Seasons Hotel home while in town shooting a movie or TV series.

This Midtown bar offers New York City cocktail culture coupled with Southern hospitality. Fronted by a team trained under co-owner and barman Eric Simpkins (who himself got his start at NYC’s Pegu Club under Audrey Saunders,) the Lawrence serves up modern takes on the classics and innovative originals built with base spirits such as sherry, Madeira, aquavit, and agricole rhum.

The cocktails at the Ponce City Market bar rely heavily on rum, scotch, rye whiskey, and bourbon as base spirits accented with French vermouth, a variety of amari, and sherry. These drinks complement the meaty menu, too, which includes a selection of beef jerky (biltong), a chakalaka South African roll with spicy beer mustard, and crave-worthy parmesan, butter, and herb popcorn.

Little Spirit in Inman Quarter is adorned with pieces by local artist Erica Arndts depicting musicians like Tupac, the Notorious B.I.G., and David Bowie as Renaissance-era patron saints who watch over the cocktail bar. The drinks menu rotates frequently here to focus on seasonal and classic cocktails. Food at Little Spirit leans into bar bites like pimento cheese and chorizo with Ritz crackers, hot dogs, and a grilled cheese on Texas toast.

This East Atlanta bar, owned by chef Nhan Le (Fishmonger, So Ba), is a popular late-night hangout for industry workers in search of a great post-shift meal and equally great cocktails in a punk rock atmosphere.

Labeled a neighborhood establishment, Dead End Drinks (formerly named Ration and Dram) is run by Holeman & Finch alum Andy Minchow and has been drawing the cocktail faithful since it opened in 2014. This bar takes the word “craft” seriously, serving up cocktails containing genever (Dutch malted gin,) agricole rhum, brandy, and pisco, along with classics like the Old Fashioned and Martini. Visit for the rainy day drink specials, too.

One of the first craft cocktail bars in Decatur (and sibling to Brick Store Pub,) Leon’s has seen a few of Atlanta’s finest behind its bar at one time or another. Does Miles Macquarrie (Kimball House) ring a bell? The bar program continues to focus on classic cocktails as well as its extensive local beer list thanks to its Brick Store ties in Decatur.

No Atlanta “best-of” bar list these days would be complete without Kimball House. Located in a renovated train depot in Decatur, the bar has been nationally recognized for its elegant twists on the classic drinks, Champagne and absinthe services, and seasonal cocktails full of ingredients straight from the restaurant’s garden. Oh, and its oyster selection is the best in town.